Nha Trang, Vietnam

The Diamond Princess traveled south along the coast of Vietnam. Around 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 25 we boarded a local pilot who guided us through the waters of Nha Trang. 

We anchored in the South China Sea near the port in Nha Trang with tropical, humid temperatures around 86F (30C) and blue skies.

At 9:00 a.m the ship cleared customs and passengers began tendering ashore in the ship's orange and white lifeboats. 

The tenders passed a short distance from the Vinpearl Cable Car which links Hon Tre Island and Nha Trang. What a magnificent sight! With seven offshore support towers lined up across the sea, the gondola lifts (cable cars) traveled just over two miles (3311 meters) between Nha Trang and Hon Tre Island making it the longest "sea crossing" cable car in the world and a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Vinpearl is a resort on Hon Tre Island with hotel accommodations, an amusement park and a water park.    

  

Nha Trang remains one of Vietnam's most popular beach resort area. The town itself is small (approximately 125,246 square miles). The official language was Vietnamese with some English, French, Chinese and Khmer spoken. Nha Trang's government remains Communist. As for currency, the Vietnamese Dong was used (VND).

Fishing boats painted bright red and blue dotted the landscape and offered a splash of color as we got nearer to shore.

  

The Cau Da Port pier was festooned with welcome, including greetings from beautiful Vietnamese women dressed in their traditional costume called Ao Dai, which dates back to the 18th century. The Ao Dai is a tight fitting silk tunic worn over silk pants.

Nha Trang has a rich historical past and was formerly the center of the Ancient Kingdom of Champa. This kingdom dominated the region from the 2nd century A.D. until the 15th century when it was defeated by the Ly Dynasty, founders of the independent Vietnamese state. Tower ruins of this civilization survived the years and are located just north of town.

In 1891, Dr. Alexander Yersin, a French immunologist, founded Xom Bau Village where fishermen migrated, making it a bustling and crowded village. Quickly, more and more people been migrating to the new town and a local government was established. The small village, later named Nha Trang, is now the capital of Khanh Hoa province and has a population of approximately 300,000 inhabitants.  

Nha Trang has a four mile stretch of beach and was a popular spot for U.S. serviceman stationed there during the Vietnam War. Currently, it attracts local vacationers and some Westerners. 

The pier was approximately seven miles from downtown Nha Trang. Taxis were available outside the port gate, approximately 330 yards from the gangway where our tender dropped us off. However, with no tours planned for the day, we were interested in hiring pedicabs for a few hours, a fun way to get around and see the sights. The ship offered a pre-paid "Nha Trang By Pedi Cab" tour for 1 1/2 hours at a cost of $59 US per adult. Thinking we could do better, we negotiated ashore with some pedicab drivers directly and were able to hire for 3 1/2 hours for $20 US per person. We had so much fun!
  

  

  

Our first stop was the Cathedral of Nha Trang - Christ the King in the Khanh Hoa province. It was located in the Ave Maria Plaza which was a junction of six blocks and extremely busy with traffic. The French Gothic cathedral opened in 1934 covered .44 miles (720 meters) in area and consisted of the church, a priest house and the bell tower. Built entirely of concrete, it sat on a small hill overlooking the city and is the largest church in Nha Trang. 

  

  

  

  

  

A beautiful, young couple were having their wedding photos taken on the church grounds. They kindly and patiently allowed us to photograph them.

Next, we visited Kim Than Phat To, home of the giant white Buddha statue.

The grounds were neatly manicured with a mix of color and green lushness.

  

This was the beginning of the stone steps that led up, up, up...to the giant white Buddha statue (Kim Than Phat To). Appeared that beggars found this area ideal to approach tourists as we were asked several times by females asking for money.

  

On the way up to the giant Buddha was the Long Son Pagoda bronze bell weighing over 3,000 pounds (1,500kg).

"Nam Mo A Di Da Phat" - this was a small shrine depicting a Vietnamese Buddhist chant that translates into a prayer for removing all disasters and suffering and to help us forget our small problems.  

Another wonderful sight on the way up the steps was this reclining Buddha which was over 45 feet long (14 meters) and created in 2003. With a serene smile on its face. it was calming and beautiful to look at.

At the top was the giant white Buddha seated on a lotus blossom atop a pedestal. The 45 foot tall (14 meters) statue is visible from all over the city below it. The base of the Buddha contained fire ringed relief busts of Thich Quang Duc and six other Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves for their beliefs in 1963.

Back down to the city, we hopped back into our pedicabs and soaked in our surroundings on our way to the Cho Dam Market, Vietnam's largest open air market. Under the tree in the photo below was an open air barber shop. The man in the white shorts under the tree was providing a shave to a client that looked comfortably reclined in front of him.

A reminder that we were in a Communist country.

Colors!

The majority of traffic was moped/bicycle/motorcycle based. 

We arrived at Cho Dam Market. I was concerned by a sign at the entrance (not pictured) that warned of pickpockets and shysters. So we took extra care when walking through the narrow aisles between the stalls. As I walked inside, I was greeted by a bustle of noises, smells and merchandise ranging from souvenirs to fresh fruits and veggies. 

It was warm under the tin roofing of this market and jammed packed full of vendors. The area where meats and fish were being sold was extremely pungent in a disturbing way, strong enough that we were forced to walk away from it.

  

Cassava chips were drying in the sun. Cassava chips yielded starch for making flour, were used in making alcohol and also animal feed production. Vietnamese women were selling snails of all sizes and various shellfish.

  

These adorable children appeared to be hanging out with mom who was a vendor nearby. They were so friendly and gladly posed for a picture.

Once back on the pedicabs, we entered the mayhem of increasing traffic. It was insane. Our drivers calmly maneuvered their way in and out of the constantly moving stream of motorcycle, mopeds, trucks and cars. As for me, I had to cover my eyes several times. Yikes! The side streets were calmer and we weaved from main roads to side roads.

    

Our last stop was to find a KFC...yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Many of the crew members on board the ship ADORE Kentucky Fried Chicken! This was a surprise treat Rick and I like to bring on board for the crew once in a while to say "thanks for the amazing service you provide". Crew seldom get time ashore and when they do, its usually brief and rushed involving a gulped down meal and "speed shopping". They don't have time to venture out and explore much so if their favorite indulgence is too far from port, they don't get to partake. Such friendly service and smiles at the KFC as we waited for our large order of chicken and sides to be prepared.

  

Precious cargo of spicy fried chicken, coleslaw and biscuits at our side as we took the tender back to the ship.

What an awesome day we had! The pedicab experience was such fun and a great way to get around in Nha Trang. Special note: pedicab drivers have an unsavory reputation to be shysters. Even though we agreed on a price of $20 per person in a very clear, understood way at the beginning of our day, our drivers tried to charge us more at the end of our journey. We stood very firm and paid what we owed but it was not without a rather loud disagreement from the drivers which began to gather a small crowd before it was resolved. So, my message would be to be very clear on pricing, use caution and don't let any attempt at "confusion" sway you. 

To join me in our next port of call (Phu My, Vietnam), click on this link: Asia and Australia 2014